This application is based on application Nos. 9-133969, 9-182286, 9-182287, and 9-182288 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting an image to a remote site. Also, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for receiving an image transmitted from a remote site. Particularly, the present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus and a method of transmitting or receiving an image by a facsimile apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus connected to the Internet to transmit/receive an image using the Internet and a telephone line, and a method of transmitting/receiving an image through the facsimile apparatus connected to the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Facsimile apparatuses are well known and available for practical usage. A facsimile apparatus communicates with a remote facsimile apparatus through a communication line to transmit or receive an image (transmission and reception may be generically referred to as xe2x80x9ccommunicationxe2x80x9d hereinafter). One type of such facsimile apparatuses is a facsimile apparatus connected to the Internet. In the communication of an image to an apparatus of another party through a telephone line, communication under a sequence similar to that of a normal facsimile apparatus is carried out. In the communication of an image via an Internet dedicated line, the apparatus converts the image data into text data to perform communication in the form of electronic mail. The apparatus provides image communication with a remote facsimile apparatus by selectively utilizing two types of communication lines, i.e. the telephone line and the Internet leased line.
The conventional facsimile apparatus connected to the Internet carries out the communication of an image by either the telephone line or the Internet leased line. When the telephone line of the recipient is busy in the event of trying to send an image through the telephone line thereto, the actual transmission of the image may be time consuming. In the case of image transmission to a remote recipient through a telephone line, the communication fee is expensive and the running cost is high. An image can be transmitted in the form of electronic mail using the Internet leased line. In this case, the transmission cost can be relatively lower than that through a telephone line even if the recipient is located far away. However, the actual delivery of the electronic mail to the recipient is indefinite. The user of the transmission side does not know when the recipient obtains the image.
The conventional Internet-connected facsimile apparatus that can perform image communication in the form of electronic mail using an Internet leased line supports only text data.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved facsimile apparatus and facsimile communication method.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved Internet-connected facsimile apparatus and facsimile communication method.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting image data to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes: an image reading unit which reads an image of a document and generates image data of the document; a transmitting unit connectable with a first network and a second network to transmit the image data of the document to the external image receiving apparatus; and a controller which controls the transmitting unit such that the image data of the document is transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through one of the first and second networks, and such that the image data of the document is retransmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through the remaining one of the first and second networks. The first network differs from the second network.
Since the controller transmits the image data of the document simultaneously through the first and second networks, the external image receiving apparatus can carry out a process according to the image data that is received ahead of the other to improve the speed of the process.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image receiving apparatus for receiving data regarding a document from an external image transmitting apparatus through a network, includes: a receiving unit connectable with a first network and a second network to receive data regarding a document from the external image transmitting apparatus; an image forming unit for forming an image of the document on a recording sheet based on the received data; and a controller which controls the receiving unit and the image forming unit such that the image of the document based on the data transmitted through one of the first and second networks is formed and such that the image of the document based on the data retransmitted through the remaining one of the first and second networks is not formed. The first network differs from the second network.
Since the controller forms an image of the document according to the data transmitted through one of the first and second networks, a process according to the image data that is received ahead of the other from the external image transmitting apparatus can be carried out to improve the processing speed.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes: an image reading unit which reads an image of a document and generates image data of the document; a memory unit for storing data regarding a binary file; a transmitting unit connectable with a network to transmit electronic mail to the external image receiving apparatus; a converter which converts the image data read by said image reading unit into first text data and converts the data regarding the binary file into second text data; and a controller which controls the transmitting unit such that the electronic mail which contains the first text data and the second text data is transmitted.
Since the controller provides control of the transmitting unit so that the electronic mail including the first and second text data is transmitted, a binary file can be transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an image receiving apparatus for receiving an image from an external image transmitting apparatus through a network, includes: an image forming unit which forms an image of a document sent from the external image transmitting apparatus; a memory unit for storing data regarding a binary file; and a receiving unit connectable with a network to receive electronic mail from the external image transmitting apparatus. The electronic mail contains first text data and second text data. The first text data represents image data of a document, and the second text data represents data regarding a binary file. The image receiving apparatus of the present aspect further includes a converter which converts the first text data into the image data and the second text data into the data regarding the binary file; and a controller which controls the image forming unit such that an image based on the image data converted by the converter is formed and controls the memory unit such that the data regarding the binary file converted by the converter is stored.
Since the controller provides control of the memory unit such that the converted binary file is stored, the user can have the binary file received from the external image transmitting apparatus stored.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes: a transmitting unit connectable with a telephone network and the Internet; a memory unit which stores a facsimile number and an electronic mail address of the external image receiving apparatus; a converter which converts image data into text data; and a controller which controls the transmitting unit such that the image data is transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through the telephone network in accordance with the facsimile number stored in the memory unit, and such that electronic mail containing the text data converted by the converter is transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through the Internet based on the electronic mail address stored in the memory unit in a case where the transmission of the image data through the telephone network cannot be established.
When the controller cannot transmit image data through the telephone line, electronic mail including the converted text data is transmitted through the Internet. Therefore, image data can be transmitted more efficiently.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes: an image reading unit which reads an image of a document and generates image data; a memory which stores a first identification code and a second identification code; a transmitting unit connectable with a network; and a mode selector which selectively sets one of a first transmitting mode and a second transmitting mode. The first and second identification codes serve to identify the external image receiving apparatus. The first identification code corresponds to the first transmitting mode, and the second identification code corresponds to the second transmitting mode. The image transmitting apparatus of the present aspect further includes a controller which controls the transmitting unit such that the image data generated by the image reading unit is transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through the network under the selected transmitting mode in accordance with the respective identification code.
Since the controller sends image data to the external image receiving apparatus through the network at the selected transmission mode, the user can arbitrarily determine whether to give priority to communication cost reduction or communication time reduction.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for transmitting image data to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes the steps of: reading an image of a document and generating image data of the document; and transmitting the image data of the document to the external image receiving apparatus through one of a first network and a second network, and retransmitting the image data of the document to the external image receiving apparatus through the remaining one of the first and second networks.
Since image data of the document is transmitted simultaneously through the first and second networks, the external image receiving apparatus can carry out a process according to the image data that was received ahead of the other to improve the processing speed.
According to yet a still further aspect of the present invention, a method for receiving data regarding a document from an external image transmitting apparatus through a network, includes the steps of: receiving data regarding a document from the external image transmitting apparatus through one of a first network and a second network; forming an image of the document based on the data transmitted through one of the first and second networks, and not forming an image of the data based on the data retransmitted through the remaining one of the first and second networks.
Since an image of a document is formed according to the data transmitted through one of first and second networks, the external image transmitting apparatus can carry out a process according to the image data that is received ahead of the other to improve the processing speed.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, a method for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network, includes the steps of: reading an image of a document and generating image data of the document; converting the generated image data into first text data and data regarding a binary file into second text data; and transmitting electronic mail which contains the first and second text data through a network.
Since electronic mail including first and second text data is transmitted through a network, a binary file can be transmitted to an external image receiving apparatus.
According to yet an additional aspect of the present invention, a method for receiving an image from an external image transmitting apparatus through a network, includes the steps of: receiving electronic mail from the external image transmitting apparatus. The electronic mail contains first text data and second text data. The first text data represents image data of a document, and the second text data represents data regarding a binary file. The method of the present aspect further includes the steps of converting the first text data into the image data and the second text data into the data regarding the binary file; and forming an image based on the converted image data and storing the converted data regarding the binary file.
Since the converted binary file is stored, the user can have the binary file received from the external image transmitting apparatus retained.
According to yet a still further aspect of the present invention, a method for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network includes the steps of: converting image data into text data; and transmitting the image data to the external image receiving apparatus through a telephone network in accordance with a facsimile number; and transmitting electronic mail containing the converted text data to the external image receiving apparatus through the Internet based on an electronic mail address in a case where the transmission of the image data through the telephone network cannot be established.
When image data cannot be transmitted through the telephone line, electronic mail including converted text data is transmitted through the Internet. Therefore, the user can transmit image data more efficiently.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for transmitting an image to an external image receiving apparatus through a network includes the steps of: reading an image of a document and generating image data; selecting one of a first transmitting mode and a second transmitting mode; and transmitting the generated image data to the external image receiving apparatus through a network under the selected transmitting mode in accordance with the respective identification code. A first identification code corresponds to the first transmitting mode, and a second identification code corresponds to the second transmitting mode.
Since image data is transmitted to the external image receiving apparatus through a network under a selected transmission mode, the user can arbitrarily determine whether to give priority to reduction in the communication cost or in the communication time.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.